Paul Berger, Author at Next Plane to Anywhere

Copenhagen: The Freedom to Bike

Straddling a three speed rental bike carried upstairs from a basement storefront on Nyhaven Street, I immediately felt like a local. In Copenhagen everyone rides bicycles. The Danish say first you lean to walk and then you learn to ride a bike. Children are taught to ride bicycles from the age of three, and...

A Love of Nepal Street Markets

Kathmandu street market I must admit, I am no Andrew Zimmerman when it comes to food. I have been a vegetarian for more than 25 years and so enjoying local delicacies is sometimes hard if not impossible. However, I still love street markets, just not for the food, but for the glimpse of local life

Run Fast if you are Pushed by a Monkey

Swayambhu which is commonly known as the Monkey Temple, is a Buddhist shrine that sits high atop a hill overlooking all of Kathmandu. One of the most sacred sites in all of Nepal, its main shrine features eyes of the Buddha painted on all four sides that look out over the valley. The shrine is also the home to...

5 Simple Lessons I Learned from Buddhist Monks

Spending months at a Buddhist monastery is an experience I would recommend for anyone. One cannot help but grow from the experience. Below are five simple lessons that I learned from my stay at the monastery. 1) Wake Like Fish At 5:00 a.m. a morning gong would wake the monks at the monastery. While most visitors...

I Wish I Could Do That – Volunteering in Nepal

Most people are surprised when I tell them I was a volunteer English teacher at a Buddhist monastery in Nepal. The typical reaction is what an amazing experience, I wish I could do that. When I emphatically reply you can and should I am always met with the same puzzled reaction. Taking an extended break...